The conference on “Water for Agriculture and Energy in Africa: The Challenges of Climate Change,” took place in Sirte, Libya, from 15-17 December 2008.

The conference was organized by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), as the Chair of UN Water, together with the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Government, and in collaboration with stakeholders including the African Union, the African Ministers’ Council on Water Development, the African Development Bank and the Economic Commission for Africa. In preparation for the event, a series of individual Country Investment Briefs were prepared, based on short-, medium- and long-term assessments and considering investment in water control at the village level, extensive irrigation systems and major river basins, both for agriculture and for hydro-electric power generation. During the event, ministers from 53 African countries considered a “Blue Revolution” programme designed to harness Africa’s largely untapped water resources for its development. The $65 billion, 20-year programme details the irrigation and hydroenergy investments required in each country in the context of climate change, which is expected to have a considerable impact on Sub-Saharan Africa. At the end of the three-day event, delegates adopted the Sirte Declaration supporting water development in order to fully exploit the potential of Africa’s agriculture and energy sectors, to ensure the food security of the continent and to meet its increasing food and energy needs.
Links to further information
FAO Press Release, 15 December 2008
Conference Website